Sunday, July 30, 2006

It would have been my mother's 87th birthday today. I was feeling sentimental about this, so I looked for my memorial to her today in my archives, and found it (written in January 2002 after she passed on 4 January 2002), and thought I would share it with you:

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A Wonderful Life -- by Randy Seaver

I celebrate the life of my mother, Betty Virginia Carringer Seaver, today with a sense of thanksgiving for her life, and gratitude for the love and encouragement she gave me.

The gravestone up at Fort Rosecrans will read 1919 – dash – 2002, but her life was much more than a beginning and an end. Mikel briefly summarized her life in his opening remarks, and the other speakers have remembered her impact on them.

To summarize the "dash" – she was a child of the Roaring 20’s, a Depression-era teen, a War bride, a 50’s and 60’s mom, a 70’s grandmother, and an 80’s and 90’s survivor. Obviously, it is impossible to cover a life of 82 years in just a few minutes.

The roles that my mother played in her life are many and varied – and typical of many women of her generation and throughout our history:

As a mother, she provided the family roots needed for her children to grow into responsible adults. She also knew when to give us wings and let us “fly away” from the nest. She emphasized education, and doing well in school. She helped us with our homework, encouraged us to try and succeed in our lives. It was quite a task to manage a home with three active boys and a demanding husband, but she did it extremely well - with grace, good humor, and love.

I am a bit of a family historian. In the last ten years, I especially enjoyed taking her grocery shopping, and afterwards sitting on the patio, listening to her life experiences, looking at family pictures and papers. I was thrilled when she found new treasures in her bookcase or in the cedar chest. I cherish this special time that I spent with her.

The “dash” between the dates on the gravestone covers quite a bit, doesn’t it?

She enjoyed being with her family, and was very proud of them. One of her legacies is her genes. Looking at the big picture - she contributed her goodness and love to humanity and was a necessary part in the march of the generations.

Another legacy is the memories we have of her, as her family and friends, and the example of a life well lived – one of love, dignity and goodness.

This is expressed beautifully in this excerpt from “How Green Was My Valley” by Richard Llewellyn, which I’ve slightly modified:

“I saw behind me those who had gone before,and before me those who are to come,I looked back and saw my father and mother,and their fathers and mothers, and all our fathers and mothers.And in front to see my sons, and their daughters,and the sons and daughters beyond.

“And their eyes were my eyes,As I felt, so they had felt, and would feel,as then, so now, as tomorrow and forever.

“Then I was not afraid, for I was in a long line that had no beginning and no end,and the hand of his father grasped my father’s hand,and my father’s hand was in mine,and my children took my handand all up and down the line that stretchedfrom time that was to time that is, and is not yet,all raised their hands to show the link,and we found that we were one, born of Woman, Son of Man, made in the image, fashioned in the Wombby the Will of God, the Eternal Father.”

Her best qualities live on in her sons and their children – and they are ours to treasure and share through the years to come.

Thank you all for coming today and blessing us with your witness and your caring.

And Thank you, Lord God, for blessing us with this wonderful woman, my mother. May she rest in peace.

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Amen. Mom is up on the green hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Point Loma at Fort Rosecrans Veterans cemetery with my dad, under a big tree alongside the road. We don't visit them often enough, I think.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

All of these are legitmate companies dealing in regular products and services, but they didn't think their domain names through. Some of them are prime candidates for the "What was I thinking?" award....

The following concerns a question in a physics degree exam at the University of Copenhagen: "Describe how to determine the height of a skyscraper with a barometer."

One student replied: "You tie a long piece of string to the neck of the barometer, then lower the barometer from the roof of the skyscraper to the ground. The length of the string plus the length of the barometer will equal the height of the building."

This highly original answer so incensed the examiner that the student was failed immediately. The student appealed on the grounds that his answer was indisputably correct, and the university appointed an independent arbiter to decide the case.

The arbiter judged that the answer was indeed correct, but did not display any noticeable knowledge of physics. To resolve the problem it was decided to call the student in and allow him six minutes in which to provide a verbal answer which showed at least a minimal familiarity with the basic principles of physics.

For five minutes the student sat in silence, forehead creased in thought.

The arbiter reminded him that time was running out, to which the student replied that he had several extremely relevant answers, but couldn't make up his mind which to use.

On being advised to hurry up the student replied as follows: "Firstly, you could take the barometer up to the roof of the skyscraper, drop it over the edge, and measure the time it takes to reach the ground. The height of the building can then be worked out from the formula H = 0.5g x t squared. But bad luck on the barometer."

"Or if the sun is shining you could measure the height of the barometer, then set it on end and measure the length of its shadow. Then you measure the length of the skyscraper's shadow, and thereafter it is A simple matter of proportional arithmetic to work out the height of the skyscraper."

"But if you wanted to be highly scientific about it, you could tie a short piece of string to the barometer and swing it like a pendulum, first at ground level and then on the roof of the skyscraper. The height is worked out by the difference in the gravitational restoring force T = 2 pi sqrroot (l / g)."

"Or if the skyscraper has an outside emergency staircase, it would be easier to walk up it and mark off the height of the skyscraper in barometer lengths, then add them up."

"If you merely wanted to be boring and orthodox about it, of course, you could use the barometer to measure the air pressure on the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground, and convert the difference in millibars into feet to give the height of the building."

"But since we are constantly being exhorted to exercise independence of mind and apply scientific methods, undoubtedly the best way would be to knock on the janitor's door and say to him 'If you would like a nice new barometer, I will give you this one if you tell me the height of this skyscraper'."

The student was Niels Bohr, the only person from Denmark to win the Nobel prize for Physics.

Well, my Padres treaded water for another 10 game stretch - winning 5 and losing 5.

They have been streaky - since the All-Star break - lost 3, won 2, lost 4, won 3. If they were obeying Randy's Law of Winning Baseball (which is Don't Lose Two in a Row), then they would be way out front. Alas, it is hard to not lose two in a row.

So after 100 games, the Friars are 53 wins, 47 losses overall, 25-28 at home, 28-19 on the road (only Detroit is better). Their last 10 games stretches have been 6-4, 6-4, 5-5 and 5-5, or 22-18 over the last 40, compared to 31-29 over the first 60 games. Pretty consistent, rarely far from first place, and generally mediocre.

They are hitting 0.265 overall (middle of the league), with 100 home runs (middle of the league) and an ERA of 4.21 (up from 4.02 10 games ago).

In this 10 game stretch, the Pads scored 56 runs, but gave up 62. The starting and relief pitching faltered until the last game, but the hitting and power picked up.

On the roster front, the Padres dumped Vinny Castilla, then immediately missed his 3rd base defense in SF. Bellhorn and blum are sharing 3B, but not hitting much. The Pads released reliever Brian Sikorski and sent Scott Cassidy and Brian Sweeney down to AAA, but added Doug Brocial from the DL and traded two scrubs to the Cubs for Scott Williamson. Termel sledge came up from Portland to spell Giles a bit, and won a game with a homer, but made a bad error in LA. Will the Pads trade for a 3B man? The rumor is we want Andy Marte of Cleveland, but they might want too much. The other rumor is the injured Morgan Ensberg from Houston, but they want reliever Linebrink.

Fortunately, while the Pads treaded water, the Dodgers lost 12 of 13, Arizona and SF went on streaks to challenge for first, and Colorado treaded water too. I think that this division can be won with 87 wins, which means the Pads need to have a few more winning streaks than losing streaks.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

After 90 games (72 remaining), my Padres lead the National League West by 2-1/2 games with a 48 wins, 42 loss record. That's the good news.

The bad news is that just when the hitting started to come around, the pitching went bad and Petco Park became a homer haven - and we have fly ball pitchers.

In the last 10 games, the Pads lost 3 in a row, won 5 in a row, and lost the last 2, ending with a 5 win, 5 loss record. The Pads scored 52 runs in these 10 games, but gave up 62. The record is 23 wins, 26 losses at home, 25 wins, 16 losses on the road. The team is 11th in HR and batting average in the National League, which are improvements over just 10 games ago. The team ERA is 4.02, second in the league to the Mets, but up a bit from 10 games ago (was 3.89).

Doug Brocail came off the DL this past week, and Scott Cassidy was sent to Portland. It appears to me that Brian Sikorski will be sent out when Alan Embree comes off the DL. My guess is that Ben Johnson will go down to Portland when he comes off the DL. Who knows what will happen when Ryan Klesko comes off the DL in August? I can't see anyone wanting him for any reason until he demonstrates he can hit for power. He can't play anywhere in the field. A pretty expensive pinch hitter. Who would we trade or cut or demote to bring him back on the roster?

Will the Pads trade for a third baseman with pop? Maybe. Morgan Ensberg, Joe Randa, and several others are available, but at what cost? Everybody seems to want relief pitching, but I say don't trade Hoffman, Linebrink, Adkins, Meredith or Sweeney out of the bullpen. It is one of our strengths.

For daily Padres reports with lots of good insight, go visit http://ductsnorts.com for a daily dose of Padres madness.

9. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshable ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.

10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.

11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.

12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.

13 Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.

14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.

15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.

This came across my email in-box today - I think every parent (and grandparent) can identify with it (author unknown at present, but very wise!):

WORRY

Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become detached spectators in the lives of their children and shrug, "It's their life," and feel nothing?

When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son's head. I asked, "When do you stop worrying?" The nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted the class, and was headed for a career making license plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher said, "Don't worry, they all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open. A friend said, "They're trying to find themselves. Don't worry, in a few years, you can stop worrying. They'll be adults." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable. I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle. There was nothing I could do about it. My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing. I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments.

My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother's warm smile and her occasional, "You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home. Are you depressed about something?"

Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of life?

One of my children became quite irritable recently, saying to me, "Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days, and no one answered. "I was worried." I smiled a warm smile.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Logan is our third grandchild, and is a real sweet-natured baby. He's obviously getting enough to eat. He smiles, blows bubbles, giggles and googles like all 4 month olds. We enjoyed seeing him again (see the summary three posts down).

I'm not complaining - we had a great weekend (June 23-26) with both daughters and the three grandchildren here. Lori flew in with Lucas (33 months) and Logan (4 months) and Tami drove down with Lauren (16 months).

We all went to the Padres game on Friday night, and saw the Padres beat the Mariners 2-1 in 10 innings - a pitcher's battle supreme. We got 4 seats in the handicapped section and were able to corral the kids well. They loved watching people and eating all the goodies.

On Saturday, we went to the Zoo for several hours, saw the monkeys, elephants, rhinos, owls, and koalas before having lunch and going over to the Balboa Park miniature train.

That night, Tami went to the Padres game with her hubby, and Lori went off to see her friend, leaving Linda and I with the three kids. Logan slept well. Lauren also slept well. Lucas went down then was up and down until 11 PM. Tami and Lauren went home this night.

On Sunday, Linda and I went to church in the morning, then we all went to the Ice Cream Social at church in the afternoon. all of our friends goo-gooed over Logan and watched Lucas run and play. It was fun showing them off.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

I've been analyzing the San Diego Padres season in 10 game blocks - the earlier posts are in the Archives of Genea-Musings.

After 80 games (the 49.4% point), My Padres stand in first place in the NL West with a 43 wins, 37 loss record. They have had their ups and downs, which has been related mainly to the offensive lack of production in long stretches, especially in April. They are 23 - 22 at home, and 20 - 15 on the road.Games 71 to 80 looked like this:

For the week, we won 6 and lost 4, scored 46 runs and gave up 42 runs. We finished 7 and 8 against the AL West, but we were 1-5 against Seattle and 6-3 against the Angels, As and Rangers.

After 80 games, the team batting average is .257 (which is up from .253 two weeks ago); the team ERA is 3.89 (down a bit from two weeks ago). The HR gap has narrowed to 74 (Padres) 88 (opponents). It is still very much a good pitching, good field, weak hit, and average speed type of ball club.

The grades for the year:

Starting pitching: BRelief pitching: B

Infield Defense: A-Outfield Defense: A-

Base Running: B-Hitting for Average: CHitting for Power: C-

Coaching: B

There you have it. Come back in about two weeks for the 90 game report.

Are you a Padres fan? If so, tell me about your best Padre memory or favorite ballplayer.

You can use the magnifying glass to see the details of the chart - put your mouse arrow on the glass, keep your finger on the mouse button and move it around.

I spent an enjoyable 10 minutes checking out all my favorite artists. It's interesting to see whole genres of music die out and sprout up. And some genres hang on by a thread and then blossom. Kind of reminds me of my ancestral families.

Continuing with my list of rock and pop music from my youth ... today we'll deal with 1960 to 1964.

1960 to 1963 saw Elvis back from the Army, more country crossover songs, the emergence of the "girl groups," and surf music. The pop music world got a jolt in 1964 with the Beatles and the British invasion that followed. Naturally, I liked all of the above, plus more.

I love the music I grew up with - from about 1955 to about 1967 - essentially my teenage and young adult years. I love to sing along (unfortunately, in the key of J Sharp most of the time) to songs on the radio.

I decided I would try to identify four favorite songs from each year. Here are my lists from 1955 to 1959:

After spending so much time on my genealogy blog at Genea-Musings, I decided to put my personal life posts, pictures and opinions on a new blog - Randy's Busy Life.

My life seems busy to me, but perhaps not to others. I seem to have a lot of free time (hence two blogs...) to go out with my wife, enjoy my kids and grandchildren, read books and the Internet, pursue my genealogy obsession, watch my Padres in person or at Petco Park, etc. Right now I work two days a week as an aerospace engineer, after 35 years of full-time work at Rohr (which was bought by Goodrich).

I'll try to capture some of my personal life posts from the other blog so that they'll be in one place for posterity.

Please let me know, by writing comments, how you like my blog, and if you want something special, let me know.

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About Me

I am a native San Diegan, a graduate of San Diego State University, a retired aerospace engineer, a genealogist and a family guy.
My wife (Angel Linda) and I have two lovely daughters, and four darling grandchildren. We love to visit them and have them visit us.
Angel Linda and I love to travel to visit friends and relatives, to sightsee, to cruise or to do genealogy. Our travels have taken us all over the USA, to England, Down Under and Scandinavia.
For earlier posts (not visible on the main post list), please see the Archives listed below by month.
If you like my blog, please put it in your Favorites or Bookmarks and visit regularly.
Contact me via email at randy.seaver@gmail.com